Bye George! U.S. Mideast Envoy Mitchell Steps Down

Photo via U.S. Department of State.Following two frustrating years trying to facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, United States Mideast Envoy George Mitchell is stepping down. The Washington Post reports:

Mitchell, 77, was appointed as a special envoy to the region in the early weeks of the Obama presidency as the new administration sought to energize the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and make it a central component of a larger Middle East strategy. But despite more than two years of shuttle diplomacy and dozens of meetings with representatives from the two sides, he was unable to gain significant traction in prodding the two sides toward a negotiated settlement.